


Waterfire

by blahstuck



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Country AU, M/M, Summer Vacation, college age, cute shit, farm au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:47:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27987927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blahstuck/pseuds/blahstuck
Summary: Demyx is looking forward to a summer at his grandparents' farm in Upstate New York. That is, until trouble appears in the form of Axel. This may turn out to be a summer Demyx will never forget!
Relationships: Axel/Demyx (Kingdom Hearts)
Kudos: 1





	Waterfire

Demyx sighed with joy, watching the countryside speed by. He loved spending time at his grandparents' farm house in New York. There were trees everywhere, perfect for swinging on homemade tire swings, and his grandma's home-cooking was a stark contrast to the fast food and takeout his parents would get. Being home for the summer was nice and all, but out here, he felt free and real. His friends back home thought he was crazy for going to a place with no Wi-fi and no clubs near-by, but Demyx got tired of that, to be honest. Sure, he enjoyed it when he was at school, but at home, all his friends were busy with internships or jobs and had no time for him.  


"Demyx, you really should think about getting an internship. You could even get a paid one, if you look around," his friend, Zexion, told him one day.  


"But Zexy, we're only going into Junior year! I want to have fun before I have to grow up, and before you get started, yes I have looked. There's nothing around here that gives internships for Marine Bio... And I want to wait til after school anyway, when I can move to a coastal town that isn't expensive as hell. Besides, my parents would freak if I moved out now, mom isn't ready to 'watch her baby boy go out on his own'," Demyx ranted, giving his friend all the excuses he had in justification.  


Demyx sighed again, before suddenly jolting, realizing he almost missed the turn. _Shoot! I'm almost at Pappy and Mammy's_ , Demyx thought, slamming the brakes, _thank goodness nobody drives around here at night_. After another 20 minutes of driving down a long stretch of curving hills surrounded by tall fields of corn and other crops, Demyx finally arrived to his grandparents' farm. They kept cows and a few hens, and owned an additional 40 acres of land for the various crops they grew. Demyx looked forward to the morning, when he could greet his best friend Daisy in the barn. She was his favorite cow, one he grew up with. She was also the only cow he would milk, as he was scared the others would kick at him. Daisy was patient and sweet, and they often laid in the grass under the old oak tree, watching the sun begin to set.  


Yeah, Demyx was glad he chose to spend his summer here, relaxing and enjoying life before he had to go back to school in the city, and from there, get an internship or job. Besides, he helped out his Pappy with the cows and chickens, and sometimes drove them into town for groceries or errands. It was harder for his Mammy to drive around now, with her hip being out of sorts, and Pappy was usually doing stuff around the farm, or relaxing in his chair.  


He drove up next to his Pappy's old Ford truck, whose blue paint was chipped, revealing red rust underneath. It was dark outside already, and he wanted to get inside and eat before they went to bed. Demyx stepped out of his own beat-up car, grabbed his bag from the back, and made his way up to the porch. _It could use a little work_ , he thought, examining the loose boards and chipping paint, _definitely a hazard for Mammy come winter_. He then knocked a tune on the door, waiting, before Mammy opened the door.  


"Demy! Why, my little Demy, you're here!" she exclaimed, pulling him in for a big hug. "We were gettin' worried, y'know, there's lots of deer out at night, and quite a few people have gotten in accidents lately," she said, looking up at him. "My, you've grown tall!"  


"Aw shucks, Mammy, I'm still the same height I was last time I came up," Demyx laughed, giving her a kiss on her head. "Now, what's for dinner? I'm starving! I drove straight up here," he said, sniffing the air.  


Mammy laughed. "You know I always make my Spaghetti and meatballs, Demy! Just for you, perfect after a long day of driving. Now come on, get in! Pappy's in his chair now, so grab a plate and get situated," she said, pushing him towards the kitchen and closing the door.  


_Ah, the smell of Mammy's meatballs was the smell of home; warm and comforting_ , Demyx thought, piling a bowl full of spaghetti and choosing 3 of the biggest meatballs to put on top. He lived for Mammy's cooking. It seemed to energize him, so he was never too tired in the mornings, unlike at home. At home in the summers, he could sleep in til 10 and still not get enough sleep, it seemed. 

That night, Demyx breathed in deep the smell of the old blankets that were draped over him. _It always smells so cozy here_ , he thought, snuggling into the lumpy pillows and old mattress that was in the spare bedroom. This was the bedroom his mother grew up in, and the faded floral wallpaper that decorated it was still there, though it was peeling off the walls. The repurposed gas lamp gave off a faint pink glow, keeping the ghosts at bay. He spent many summer nights huddled under his blankets, as a child, afraid of the ghosts that creaked and moaned in the old farmhouse. But his Mammy, after seeing him still awake one night on her way to the bathroom, told him a secret that changed his world. "See this lamp?" she had asked. "This is a magic lamp with a secret. If you turn the knob two times, a special light comes on."  


"Will it keep the ghosts away?" young Demyx asked, peeping over his blanket.  


"Why of course it will, Demy! It kept ghosts away for your mommy, too, when she was your age. As long as you sleep with this light on, any ghost that sees it will turn away. And that's a fact," she finished with a smile, tucking him in with a kiss on the forehead.  


From then on, Demyx always slept with the pink light on, even when his Pappy complained he was getting too big for it. And now, even though he knew that the sounds he had thought were ghosts were just the pipes and old wooden floors and walls, he couldn't sleep without it. Demyx settled in and finally drifted off to sleep, dreaming of swimming at the water hole by the old barn...

The next day, after collecting eggs and milking the cows, Demyx enjoyed a delicious breakfast of pancakes with bacon and eggs. It was during this that his Mammy requested him to drive her into town.  


"You see, dear, we need a few supplies if I'm gonna be feeding a growing boy like yourself!" she exclaimed with a laugh. Demyx lit up.  


"Of course I will! We can take my car, if you want. Unless you need me to pick something else up, too, Pappy?" He looked over to his Pappy, who was focused on his breakfast.  


"No, I'll be alright. But if you think you can handle her, I would like you to drive me over to Tim's farm for some hay later," he said, not looking up.  


"Wait, what?" Demyx was shocked. His Pappy had never asked him to drive his truck. He had never even asked Demyx to drive him anywhere, always insisting that he could do just fine. "Pappy are you OK?" he asked, half-joking.  


"Of course I'm OK, just want to see if you can handle that old rust bucket," Pappy snapped, "and I'll need help with all that hay, anyway."  


Of course, manual labor! That made more sense to Demyx, but now he wondered if his Pappy was finally feeling his age creeping up on him. He decided not to press the issue further, and just be thankful he could finally help his Pappy out with something he was good at. "Of course, Pappy! I think I can handle the truck. I do drive a big van for the swim team!" he replied cheerfully.

After breakfast was finished and dishes were washed, he and Mammy headed out to the nearest town for errands. When Mammy ran errands, she didn't run. She crawled. Demyx was actually happy with that, as he loved catching up with the latest town gossip his Mammy dished out with her contacts at the Post Office, bank, and grocery store. It was at their last stop, while picking out cereal and snacks, that Demyx saw the most beautiful, striking thing. This person's hair was bright red. Like, firetruck red. _And those eyes! They were so green! Wow. Woah, were those facial tattoos??_ Demyx's mind raced, heart pounding, as he observed this person, so new to him and this town. He was so entranced, he almost didn't realize that this person noticed him, too.  


But notice he did, and _holy shit he's coming right to me!_ Demyx panicked, looking away to study the cereal boxes, trying to look busy deciding between Lucky Charms and Fruit Loops. He was more of a Cap'n Crunch guy, but in panic mode, Demyx wasn't picky.  


"Hey there," a voice as smooth as honey, and yet deep and smoky filled Demyx's ears. He looked up, startled. "Noticed you were lookin' at me, and wanted to introduce myself. You seem new to town." Green eyes pierced blue as Demyx met the stranger's gaze. "Name's Axel," the guy said, offering his hand. Demyx stared for a second too long, before realizing he was meant to shake hands.  


"Right! I'm Demyx, but I'm not new... I come every summer to visit my Mam- uh, grandparents!" Demyx grabbed the hand gingerly, giving it one shake, before turning his attention back to the cereals. "I'm just doing some shopping, helping my M- _grandma_ out with errands," he continued, trying not to sound like a kid in front of the guy. _What grown person calls their grandparents Mammy and Pappy still?_ he chastised himself.  


The guy - Axel - chuckled, "Well, don't let me interrupt you, Demyx, but I can say it was a pleasure meeting you." Demyx glanced up, trying not to blush, and was that a wink? _Oh my gosh this guy winked at me!_ he thought.  


"Y-yeah, you too!" he managed as Axel turned away, no doubt to finish his own shopping. 

In the car, on their way back to the farm, his Mammy struck up a conversation. "Did you see that boy today? All those piercings and those face tattoos, you'd think he just escaped jail!"  


"Oh, him? Yeah, I think I did see him... he had that hair?"  


"What bright hair! It has to be dyed. Demy, promise me you'll never dye your hair any crazy colors, dear?"  


"Of course, Mammy, I like my hair. Plus, it wouldn't work out with the chemicals in the water anyway," Demyx assured her, thinking of the one time he tried to dye his own hair blue. The next day, after his morning swim, he was surprised to see it had turned a terrible green color. _Never again_ , he promised to himself once more.

Back at the farmhouse, after a good lunch and a quick visit to his favorite girl Daisy, Demyx found it was soon time to go with Pappy to Tim's farm. He had met Tim a few times before, mostly when he delivered hay for the cows, but he had never been to his farm. So, with Pappy giving directions, they finally arrived at Hale Farms. Giant bales of hay were lined up by the edge of a field. Tim Hale, of Hale Farms, was already outside, greeting them with a firm handshake and a nod.  


"Howdy, fellas," he said. "I have your hay right here," he motioned to the barn.  


Pappy turned to Demyx, "Think you can manage to back her up by the doors, kid?" he asked. Demyx nodded and hopped back into the truck, as the two men started walking toward the barn.  


Once there, the work began. They were able to lift one load when Pappy suddenly stopped, rubbing his back.  


"If you need a hand, I can get my son to come out. He wouldn't mind helping out, since he's learning the ropes," Tim offered.  


"Uh, sure, I wouldn't mind!" Demyx said.

That proved to be a mistake. And oh, what a mistake it was...

**Author's Note:**

> I based this largely off of my experience going to my grandparents' old farmhouse in Upstate New York, passing the farms and abandoned barns that were falling apart in the country side. I would sometimes day dream about forbidden, gay romances that could be held there, mostly featuring Axel. But despite my initial love of AkuRoku, I found that Demyx is a perfect character who I relate to and who I can write no problem. Also, I wanted to read a cute AU that wasn't coffee shops, r*pe and sadness, or smut. Guess I had to write my own ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> Please enjoy, I will be writing this when I have inspiration, and when I'm not editing Westerns. Let me know what you think!


End file.
